1
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
was tense about the upcoming bar exam
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
a tense relationship existed between the two teachers
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3
as in tight
stretched with little or no give
a tense rope
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of tense
Phil Wahba, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024
Sadly, we were robbed of any repulsive body horror on this lovely Halloween day (sorry, gore-hounds), but at least we were left with one helluva cliffhanger heading into its tense season closer.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 31 Oct. 2024
Erica Sloan, SELF, 15 Aug. 2024
There's also Pranayama Fire Breath—the forceful exhalations through tensing the abs, which has been found to help with cognitive function.
—Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tense 
Adjective
Schultz also antagonized store workers during a time of tense relations between the company and employees during his third stint as CEO.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024
Sadly, we were robbed of any repulsive body horror on this lovely Halloween day (sorry, gore-hounds), but at least we were left with one helluva cliffhanger heading into its tense season closer.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
Then the phone would ring, and you would be tensed up.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 15 Aug. 2024
There's also Pranayama Fire Breath—the forceful exhalations through tensing the abs, which has been found to help with cognitive function.
—Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 3 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tense
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tense
Adjective
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Although dissenters are worried about the cost, the climate change crisis harms everyone, even those who don’t live in a region that is at risk of wildfires.Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024
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Many Americans are not only worried about the outcome, but what might happen in the aftermath, regardless of who wins.Aditi Shrikant, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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That raises uneasy questions about Worthington’s social fabric and how to celebrate distinct cultures while overcoming ethnic self-segregation.Giovanna Dell'orto, Twin Cities, 31 Oct. 2024
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Apostates ties hunters with these organizations more closely as uneasy allies, rivals or even direct antagonists.Rob Wieland, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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The company’s markets wagered correctly and controversially in Donald Trump’s favor in bets on who would win the presidential election, even though opinion polls showed a tight race.Sophia Pargas, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
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Incumbent Leonel Talavera and her opponent, Vanesa Estrella, are locked in a tight race for Area 5.Alexcia Negrete, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Bucks that seem alert and nervous — look for twitchy ears and a constantly bobbing head — are more likely to detect you movement and are also more likely to duck arrows.Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Nov. 2024
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That’s why Trump, who closely follows the stock market and obsessed over it as president, should be nervous about the recent trend on Wall Street.Matt Egan, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The issue is complicated by the fact that those on X likely see Musk's posts with almost disturbing regularity.Peter Suciu, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
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And in one particularly disturbing scene, Oliver gets intoxicated, begins repeatedly hitting himself in the face and rushes toward the balcony sobbing.August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Unbearably taut, the 40-second sequence of people shrieking in suffering as they're pulled into Jean Jacket's maw proves that gore-free horror is equally, if not more, scarring.Keith Staskiewicz, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
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The camera zooms in on Sue’s taut, luminescent flesh, which bounces in the light, causing the men around her to stare agog like cartoon characters.Daisy Jones, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Boutin has been in remission from thyroid cancer since August, but just had a related surgery last week and the couple was anxious about Boutin inhaling any smoke.CNN.com, The Mercury News, 7 Nov. 2024
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Lines at downtown precincts were busy and people who have been inundated with out-of-town organizers and ads for months could be heard speculating about the results on their cellphones, anxious to see a conclusion to the contest.Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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The great director Hiro Murai collaborated with Glover on one of the most unsettling half-hours of TV in the 2010s, an experience that unfolded without commercial breaks.Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2024
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The only person who sees what’s disturbing about her is her daughter, Eva, and very soon all will see what is unsettling about her, too.Joe Otterson, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Tense.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tense. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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